Xiaomi MiPad drawbacks and common issues

Are you thinking of buying the Xiaomi MiPad tablet? Read this post to know about the common issues, drawbacks, pros and cons of the Xiaomi MiPad tablet when compared to an Apple iPad.

How I ended up buying the MiPad

I had been using an iPad for more than 2 years, which is now no match to the latest technology available. I started looking for a tablet desperately, only this time something not as expensive as Apple. The Xiaomi brand was trending and I eventually landed up reading a blog post about MiPad. This tablet looked attractive and the configuration offered was way more than the price. At last I bought this tablet for a price of Rs.13,000.

Drawbacks and common issues

Few Android apps like Google Keep, Times Of India, NDTV, Foodpanda etc were not compatible. Luckily, WhatsApp is compatible and can be installed.

One-hand usage is not possible as the screen size ratio is 4:3. The tablet is a bit slippery, it is better to use with both hands.

Few apps with a size of more than 50MB crash. It installs the app but won't allow you to run it.

WiFi reception is weaker than the iPad. I am not able to receive a signal if I am 100m away.

Gets heated up if we use extensively. I observed it heats up when browsing for a long time through WiFi or while playing games.

The tab I bought is 16GB version and only 13.4GB is available for users. I am not able to move my apps to external SD card and feel the storage is insufficient to install a lot of games.

MIUI occupies more than 200MB RAM and system will occupy more than 500MB RAM. Out of 2GB RAM, users will have only 800MB RAM. It doesn't allow multi-tasking.

The physical buttons on the tablet make it hard to use in the landscape mode. You will end up touching these buttons every time in landscape mode.

There is no GPS in this tablet.

What makes MiPad worth for the price?

MiPad has got a really good hardware, its software (MIUI) makes this tablet crappy. If you watch closely, most of the issues that I've mentioned are about its crappy software. This tablet feels premium as if you bought it for more than Rs. 30,000. Graphics quality in games is good. This tablet is also suitable for watching videos and reading books. It has excellent battery backup of 15+ hours. The display is bright and clear.

Unique features in MiPad:You can use the laptop/PC internet via USB cable. Once you connect it to your laptop/PC, you will get the option "Use the computer's internet connection". For this to work, your computer needs to be connected through an ethernet cable though.

Verdict

This tablet will be good for watching videos and reading books, you may however get more out of it by installing a stable custom ROM. Don't get overwhelmed by the specifications, you get what you pay for with the Xiaomi MiPad.

Comments

So even if the tablet has been launched with a view to give tough competition to the ipad and Google nexus, it seems like it will not be capable of proving itself as a better competitor. With the kind of drawbacks mentioned in this article, I guess Xiaomi will be able to make much headway in the sales of this device. I guess it would be better for the manufacturer to what it has been doing best - coming up with the better smartphones at lower prices.

Guest Author: manisha shah26 Nov 2015

It is about 3 months since I have been using this Mi tab and suddenly now YouTube and Facebook messenger has stopped working. When I try to open it, it is not responding. Please let me know if there is any solution to fix it.

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